So what did UBI get right?

[wetwarev7]

You know, I was under the impression that subsim.com was a place for people to gather who enjoyed sub/naval simulators, etc.. A place to discuss and make great games better.

I understand some of the disappointment surrounding SH4(I have the same game as everyone else), but it has gotten to a point that seems very much like beating a dead horse. With this in mind, I would like to start a thread focused on what we LIKE about SH4 and what UBI got right.

What I like about SH4:

1. Crew management. I think this is a definate improvement over SH3.
2. The graphics. (of course) Water looks better, the sub textures, etc look great. Explosions and smoke and beaches! oh my!
3. The career mission generator. I really love the fact that my mission goals include more than just 'patrol grid xxx'.
4. Playing from the American side of things. A nice change from the lovable yet overdone(a little bit) U-boats.
5. Crewmen walking the decks of the ships I am about to sink. I actually worry about them, and wonder who they leave behind.
6. The liferafts after I sink said ships. The poor souls who escape my AA gun only to become shark bait later on.
7. The harbours are populated with ships and seem alive with land-based animations(even more deckgun targets :p )
8. Underwater plants and rocks. I like 'em.

What do YOU like about SH4?

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by wetwarev7

I understand some of the disappointment surrounding SH4(I have the same game as everyone else), but it has gotten to a point that seems very much like beating a dead horse.

You got that right, in fact I was wondering if this thread was yet another SH4 bashing thread.

Originally Posted by wetwarev7

What I like about SH4:

1. Crew management. I think this is a definate improvement over SH3.
2. The graphics. (of course) Water looks better, the sub textures, etc look great. Explosions and smoke and beaches! oh my!
3. The career mission generator. I really love the fact that my mission goals include more than just 'patrol grid xxx'.
4. Playing from the American side of things. A nice change from the lovable yet overdone(a little bit) U-boats.
5. Crewmen walking the decks of the ships I am about to sink. I actually worry about them, and wonder who they leave behind.
6. The liferafts after I sink said ships. The poor souls who escape my AA gun only to become shark bait later on.
7. The harbours are populated with ships and seem alive with land-based animations(even more deckgun targets :p )
8. Underwater plants and rocks. I like 'em.

What do YOU like about SH4?

All of the above As well as there have been many mods that have enhanced the experience. With the 1.3 patch on its way I am staying optimistic that SH4 will be a hell of a game in time.

Nice thread.

RDP

[The General]

Yeah, your 'likes' focus mainly on the visuals. And I agree with your obseravtion that they are great, but so were the visuals in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, does that make them good movies?

[joea]

Originally Posted by The General

Yeah, your 'likes' focus mainly on the visuals. And I agree with your obseravtion that they are great, but so were the visuals in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, does that make them good movies?

Crew management is visual? I would add, once the glitches are fixed and/modded out the damage control interface and model (I don't mean visual) is far better as well. The TDC is also more closely modelled to the actual US TDC than the SH3 TDC to the German one. There no eye-candy mentioned.

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by joea

Crew management is visual? I would add, once the glitches are fixed and/modded out the damage control and modle is far better as well. The TDC is also more closely modelled to the actual US TDC than the SH3 TDC to the German one. There no eye-candy mentioned.

I can't say the crew management system is on my list of likes...

I mean maybe less micro-managing, is that what you like?

I sorta liked moving the guys around. I wish someone would tell me I'm just a dolt and I've clearly missed some important aspect that would suddenly make me appreciate the new system.

Is there a way to easily move crew between damage control and their normal shifts?

[wetwarev7]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I can't say the crew management system is on my list of likes...

I mean maybe less micro-managing, is that what you like?

I sorta liked moving the guys around. I wish someone would tell me I'm just a dolt and I've clearly missed some important aspect that would suddenly make me appreciate the new system.

Is there a way to easily move crew between damage control and their normal shifts?

If you like moving the guys around, why would you want an easier way to move them between stations and damage control? :hmm:

I admit I would like it better if you assigned crew to damage control and they stayed at thier regular post till damage control teams were activated, but what I like about the SH4 crew management over SH3 is that you have 3 shifts now, and don't have to move them around to thier assigned workstations. I think this is better because I don't believe that it is the captain's responsibility to tell every one when it's bedtime. :p
Also the fact that the bridge watch officer goes to his station when we surface without me having to move him there is a big plus!

At this point, I've been cheating a bit by adding extra crew to the damage control stations before I leave port. I say cheating, but if I don't know any better(I've never been in the Navy or a sub) it's not really cheating, so no-one tell me otherwise.

[The General]

I think you're gonna find that this thread will naturally degenerate into an argument concerning SH4's many flaws, irrespective of my considerable influence. Besides, this thread peaked about 15 posts ago. So, I advise anybody who's thinking of making further posts in this ill-conceived thread to look elsewhere for their satisfaction.

[longam]

For me it is standing on deck while the boat goes under. I cant seem to do that enough.

[wetwarev7]

Originally Posted by longam

For me it is standing on deck while the boat goes under. I cant seem to do that enough.

Good call! I had forgotten this one. I also love sitting on the bridge and getting my Sunday bath. :rotfl:

[kikn79]

Originally Posted by The General

Yeah, your 'likes' focus mainly on the visuals. And I agree with your obseravtion that they are great, but so were the visuals in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, does that make them good movies?

Thank you for your input into this positive thread...


I like the gameplay. As I've said before, I have no problems with radar or CTDs or the lack of escort pursuit. With the fantastic modding community here, all those problems are fixed.

I agree with the missions (I've only had one "repeat" mission, and that was my own fault for not reporting it back to base) I really like that element of the game. It makes it so much more imersive for me. The thrill of sneaking past the harbor patrol to photograph a ship. The search for the poor zoomies that are now floating around the ocean somewhere. The hunt for the important target that is coming into my area. The challenge of getting close enough to a convoy to report it but not so close as to be detected. It's all a blast to me!!

I like patrolling the shipping lanes and trying to get into the middle of a convoy to wreak havoc. I like the challenge of getting through the destroyer screen of an enemy task force and attempting to take down some captial ships.

The visuals, while they may be nice, are not what does it for me. In fact, I have a crappy video card and can hardly enjoy them, so I stick with the 2D map station and occasionally the periscope. What really makes it for me is that I'm a WWII PTO junkie and getting a chance to "participate" in that operation is truely great fun.

Chuck

[The General]

Originally Posted by kikn79

Thank you for your input into this positive thread...

I was being realistic. Some of us have have higher standards than others.

[wetwarev7]

Originally Posted by The General

I was being realistic. Some of us have have higher standards than others.

I think what he was trying to say is that there are plenty of other threads where your comment would be more appreciated.

[kikn79]

Originally Posted by wetwarev7

I think what he was trying to say is that there are plenty of other threads where your comment would be more appreciated.

Exactly. You don't even have to go past the first page to find a thread that would have been more appropriate for that kind of comment. And, considering the thread title, is quite OT.

<Edited to keep from having to put people in the Brig>

Chuck

[XLjedi]

Wow... interesting thread.

Forced me to actually sit back and think for a minute or two about something that I liked in SH4. :hmm:


I think we all can agree the new damage model is cool! I certainly prefer the gaping holes over black smudges...

[TDK1044]

What did they get right? They assigned the right Dev team and they continued the Silent Hunter franchise. When this game is patched to 1.3 and modded, it will be the best WWII subsim ever in my view.